CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN might have waltzed off our screens in a whirl of gold sequins at the end of 2023 but, just three days into the new year, she was back on BBC One, fronting the show that became nothing short of a national obsession when it premiered last year: The Traitors. And although the wardrobes couldn’t be more of a contrast – one’s all tuxedo blazers, sequins and tit tape, the other’s cable-knits, wellies and kilts – all that matters is who’s wearing them. Because, somehow, Winkleman manages to pull off both with aplomb, a fact that hasn’t gone unnoticed by fans on social media, who were commenting under every outfit post with increasing desperation after each episode of Strictly. (Eg, ‘Oooh, where is the cream top from?’)
What it lacks in sparkle, The Traitors makes up for in clothes that are perfectly in tune with January. It’s filmed once again at the imposing Ardross Castle, ideally situated for a spot of televised high jinx in the Scottish Highlands, which goes some way to explaining the host’s practical yet polished wardrobe of country-tweed blazers and cowboy boots. ‘Traitors-core’ is all about adding a touch of good old-fashioned glam to countryside staples (think sleek wax jackets worn with split-hem leggings instead of soggy waterproofs). And it’s masterminded by stylist Sinead McKeefry, Winkleman’s right-hand woman who found herself inundated with messages on social media after the first series of the cult show. Was she surprised? ‘There was an overwhelming response from such a range of women; way beyond anything I was expecting!�
